Extract from Neuro-Ophthalmology
Article written by Marianne Doran. November/December 2005

Rose-colored sunglasses.
Preliminary research at the University of Utah suggests that specially
tinted lens may help some people with photophobia. Anecdotally, many
photophobic patients prefer an FL-41 tint on their sunglasses instead of
green or yellow. The FL-41 tint, which has a pinkish look to it, is a
mixture of colors that blocks the blue-green wavelengths.

"We randomized patients with
blepharospasm to wearing FL-41 sunglasses for two weeks and then to
wearing plain sunglasses for two weeks," said Dr. Katz. "The patients
filled out questionnaires at the end of each period. We found that
patients with blepharospasm definitely preferred wearing lenses with the
FL-41 tint to wearing conventional sunglasses. So there does seem to be
some therapeutic benefit."

In a new study, the
researchers have used electromyography to measure blink frequency,
duration and amplitude in blepharospasm patients while they read for five
minutes at a time with regular eyeglasses, glasses with a light gray tint
or glasses with an FL-41 tint. The results are still being analyzed, but
Dr. Katz said they appear to provide more objective evidence that FL-41
does reduce blepharospasm.

"FL-41 lenses are
non-invasive, they have no side effects and they're not expensive," Dr.
Katz added. "So it's a cheap, easy way to improve the lives of these
patients, who in some cases are very disabled by their disease."

Be sure glasses block
blue-green. FL-41 lenses are available in optical shops, but Dr. Digre
cautioned that some so-called FL-41 lenses are not the real thing. "You
really have to know whether the lenses are real or not." she said. "Some
lenses can look like FL-41, but they don't act like it. We have done
spectral analysis of our lenses to make sure they are blocking the right
light".